{"id":16230,"date":"2025-10-10T13:07:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T13:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/?p=16230"},"modified":"2025-10-10T13:07:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T13:07:35","slug":"your-story-is-worth-telling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2025\/10\/10\/your-story-is-worth-telling\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Your story is worth telling\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/about\/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard\/\"><em>Sign up for the Nieman Storyboard newsletter,<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;delivered every Friday in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">***<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Dear Storyboard community,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>This week, Storyboard contributor (and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christinatapper.com\/collage\">amazing collage artist<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/authors\/christina-m-tapper\/\">Christina M. Tapper<\/a> returns to our podcast for a conversation with <a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2025\/10\/09\/danyel-smith-confidence-to-tell-your-own-story\/\">journalist Danyel Smith<\/a>, author of the pop music memoir <a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/shine-bright-a-very-personal-history-of-black-women-in-pop-danyel-smith\/b7523ef571bdd1c2?ean=9780593132739&amp;next=t&amp;\">\u201cShine Bright\u201d<\/a> and whose work has been published in The New York Times, ESPN, and NPR, among many other publications.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Smith speaks to her evolution as a writer, historian, and journalist, and confronts the complex feelings that many of us struggle with when it comes to sharing stories from our own lives and experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>As journalists, part of our training includes de-centering ourselves in our work. Smith has interviewed many of the biggest stars in pop music and sports, but when the time came to write her own memoir, she says she had to \u201cbe my own second voice\u201d \u2014 the person sitting on her shoulder telling her that her story is important.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Part of that conscious effort means treating your writing with the respect it deserves. Smith is mindful about saving (rather than deleting) unused material from her stories, and tries to keep all of her past writing:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>I have journals from when I was 11, so I&#8217;m not a big thrower away of things. And those times when I don&#8217;t have something that I wish that I could put my hand on, either digitally or in an old dusty box, I\u2019m mad at myself. Everything goes back to self-worth with me. I feel like I probably threw that away, or got rid of it in a moment of feeling like it wasn&#8217;t worth keeping. I&#8217;m not saying we have to be pack rats. But to just throw away words that you&#8217;ve written \u2014 or for me, sometimes it&#8217;s even concert stuff, or photos from old phones \u2014 I mean, I&#8217;m worth keeping.<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>This week&#8217;s conversation also includes a heartfelt reading from Smith&#8217;s deeply personal story for NPR, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/11\/11\/933080759\/sade-saves-lovers-rock-20th-career-retrospective\">\u201cSade Saves,\u201d<\/a> published in 2020. Thank you to Smith and Tapper for sharing it with the Storyboard community.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2025\/10\/09\/danyel-smith-confidence-to-tell-your-own-story\/\">Danyel Smith on developing taste as a writer and building confidence to tell your own story<\/a><\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-image mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2025\/10\/09\/danyel-smith-confidence-to-tell-your-own-story\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"814\" src=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/danyel-smith-1024x814.jpg\" alt=\"Danyel Smith\" class=\"wp-image-16215\" style=\"width:610px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/danyel-smith-1024x814.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/danyel-smith-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/danyel-smith-768x610.jpg 768w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/danyel-smith.jpg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danyel Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>\u201cYou have to remind yourself, or let me use the pronoun that is always difficult for me to use: \u2018I\u2019 need to remind myself, always, that my story is worth telling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>[ <a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2025\/10\/09\/danyel-smith-confidence-to-tell-your-own-story\/\">Read the story<\/a> ]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-html mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-17979777\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2449998\/episodes\/17979777-danyel-smith-on-developing-taste-as-a-writer-and-building-confidence-to-tell-your-own-story.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-17979777&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>[ Follow us in <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/nieman-storyboard\/id1804505440\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/4cN4SOwf5Am05PoA9wckcA\">Spotify<\/a>, or your <a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.buzzsprout.com\/2449998\/episodes\">favorite podcast app<\/a>. ]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Links of note&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cAs my longtime mentor Roy Peter Clark taught me: It\u2019s better to write a lot about a little topic than a little about a big topic.\u201d Mallary Tenore Tarpley <a href=\"https:\/\/mallary.substack.com\/p\/from-pitch-to-publication-practical\">breaks down the elements of a successful story pitch<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The latest Texas Monthly<a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasmonthly.com\/the-stand-up-desk\/behind-the-scenes-with-a-true-crime-legend\/\"> spotlights the life and work of true crime reporting legend Skip Hollandsworth<\/a>. He tells Editor-in-Chief Ross McCammon: \u201cI\u2019ve been dealing with Parkinson\u2019s disease, which has slowed me down. But I still feel that same urge to find the next big story. My fire for the job has not in any way diminished. I have this great love for writing long stories, stories unique to Texas Monthly \u2014 and especially these long-form narratives we do on crime.\u201d Hollandsworth also shares lessons from his reporting: \u201cEarly in my career, I would read over the transcripts of my interviews, and in the margins I\u2019d write \u2018SU,\u2019 as in, \u2018shut up\u2019\u200a \u2026 I\u2019d talk over people just as they were about to say something brilliant.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/07\/books\/2025-national-book-award-finalists.html\">The Finalists for the 2025 National Book Awards have been announced<\/a>. Nonfiction nominees are Omar El Akkad, Julia Ioffe, Yiyun Li, Claudia Rowe, and Jordan Thomas, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalbook.org\/2025-national-book-awards-finalists-announced\/\">winners for all categories will be announced Nov. 19<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This week, journalists Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas debuted the second season of their podcast series <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/mt\/podcast\/hush\/id1763902215\">\u201cHush\u201d<\/a> for Oregon Public Broadcasting, investigating the 2019 death of 18-year-old Sarah Zuber. <a href=\"https:\/\/leahsottile.substack.com\/p\/63-hush-season-two\">Sottile writes about the trust she and Haas have to earn<\/a> from their subjects in order to embark on such a big reporting project. For \u201cHush,\u201d it started with Sottile writing a letter to Zuber&#8217;s family.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Keep building trust \u2014 in your subjects, your readers, and yourself. And keep sharing your stories,<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Mark Armstrong<br><a href=\"https:\/\/nieman.harvard.edu\/mark-armstrong-named-editor-of-nieman-storyboard\/\">Editor<\/a><br>Nieman Storyboard<br><a href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.buzzsprout.com\/\">Follow the Nieman Storyboard Podcast<\/a>&nbsp;<br>On Bluesky: <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:nejd5yomd3xtdcdg267bqim5\">@niemanstoryboard.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"block block-subscribe full-width\">\n            <h2 class=\"subscribe-title\">Subscribe to Storyboard<\/h2>\n        \n            <div class=\"subscribe-content\">\n            <p>Get insights into the craft of journalism and storytelling in your inbox, delivered on Fridays.<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"39px\"} --><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    \n                <div class=\"subscribe-embed\">\n                            <div class=\"mt-5\">\n                 <div translate=\"no\" class='mailmunch-forms-widget-1154494'><\/div>\n\n                <\/div>\n               \n                    <\/div>\n    \n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Danyel Smith on journaling through life and work. Plus: National Book Award finalists, and the elements of a story pitch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":16231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[429,431,408,425],"topics":[],"authors":[410],"issue":[],"class_list":["post-16230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-editor","tag-books","tag-memoir","tag-newsletter","tag-podcasts","authors-mark-armstrong"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Your story is worth telling\u2019 - Nieman Storyboard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Danyel Smith on journaling through life and work. 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